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(11) | EP 0 404 122 A3 |
(12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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(54) | Electronic endoscope apparatus capable of observing laser-illuminated biological body portion |
(57) To prevent a halation phenomenon from forming on an endoscopic image of a laser-illuminated
cavity of a biological body under medical examination, an electronic endoscope apparatus
(100) comprises an electronic scope unit (10) and a main endoscope unit (20:30) coupled
to the electronic scope unit (10). The electronic scope unit (10) includes: a laser mirror (50) upon which laser light (2) reflected from the laser-illuminated body cavity of the biological body under medical examination is incident, for reflecting a first light component (2A) having a laser light wavelength of the incident laser light (2) and also for passing therethrough a second light component (2B) having a visible light wavelength other than the laser light wavelength; a first image sensor (12A) for receiving the first light component (2A) reflected from the laser mirror (50); a second image sensor (12B) for directly receiving the second light component (2B) passing through the laser mirror (50) to produce a visible light image signal (12VS); and, an ND (neutral density) filter (8) positioned on a light-receiving surface of the first image sensor (12A), for lowering brightness of the first light component (2A) having the laser light wavelength, thereby producing a laser light image signal (12LS) from the first image sensor (12A). The main endoscope unit (20:30) processes both the laser light image signal and visible light image signal (12LS:12VS) to display an endoscopic image of the laser-illuminated body cavity without any halation phenomenon. |